# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1874_S22
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 22 —

In the present Thesis it is not asserted at all that this human arrangement and order brings about all the glorious things which are stated in the four reasons. It would be godless to assert such a thing of a human order. Order can effect nothing in the heart. The mere existence of order therefore helps nothing at all if God's Word does not work in the hearts. Once it has come to the point that God's Word no longer rules the Christians, it would be futile to try still to keep such an external human arrangement. For then it is in any case all one whether we go to hell in order or in disorder. It is therefore by no means asserted here that salvation alone can spring from following this apostolic pattern. One could draw that conclusion only if it stood: if this apostolic order is present, then 1, 2, 3, 4 are fulfilled. But it says here only: if it is not present, if it is lacking, then this and that evil result follows. The proof here is a negative one. What the lack of this order effects, that is what is stated here. For it is surely two different things to say: an order shall help so that everything stands right in the congregation — or: this or that disorder stands as a hindrance in the way of God's working in the congregation. Only the latter is asserted here. This apostolic order is not to be the means by which God pours out His blessing on the congregation, but only a railway track. The track does not drive a steam car. Only steam does that. The track merely helps the car be carried along more comfortably by the steam. So also apostolic or churchly orders help very much, so that what God bestows on the Church of grace can also be rightly used.

If, therefore, someone argued thus: God's Word must do everything alone; the more lively Christians are thereby created, the less is order needed; — such a one would prove too much. For from that it must follow: then one needs no order at all, one should just let the Spirit rule. The above conclusion is wrong precisely because such order is made not for the Spirit but for the flesh. And all Christians still have the flesh, we too, and it can grow mightier every day. If you say: yes, but when the Spirit has fled, when God's Word no longer works powerfully in the hearts, the people will break through this order anyway; — then you prove by this very thing the necessity of this apostolic division. For this is certain: where there is no upright Christianity, each one wants to do what seems right to him. If we now make no order among us, we provoke such evil spirits. If there is no territorial delimitation, a hypocritical preacher will try to draw to himself a man who belongs to another parish, and indeed under the appearance that he does right in it. But if the order is made, he will be more careful. This order thus curbs the hypocrite.

[Vertical pencil lines in the left margin beside the lines "If we now make no order among us ..." through "This order thus curbs the hypocrite."]